Justice Department Investigating Payments by Massa

The Justice Department has begun investigating potential abuses of public office by former congressman Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) and his aides, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
A team of FBI agents and Justice prosecutors who specialize in public corruption appears to be focusing its preliminary inquiry on large payments Massa’s campaign made last month to his top congressional aide and the decision to renew the lease for the lawmaker’s personal car within days of his announcement that he would not seek reelection.
The inquiry is being jointly led by the Justice Department’s public integrity section and the fraud and public corruption unit of the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington.
Federal prosecutors served a former Massa staff member with a request to preserve all phone records, e-mail, BlackBerry accounts and other documents relating to Massa’s campaign and congressional office. Debra Katz, an attorney for the former staffer, confirmed Wednesday that prosecutors contacted her about her client’s documents and knowledge of the payments.
On March 3, Massa announced that he was resigning amid reports that the House ethics committee was investigating allegations that he sexually harassed and groped young male staffers in his office. The following day, Massa’s campaign paid $40,000 to his chief of staff, Joe Racalto, a key witness in the ethics investigation, The Post reported last week. The campaign also paid $31,896 on March 3 to renew a car lease for a campaign vehicle for Massa.

Read more: (Carol D. Leonnig, “Justice Investigating Payments by Ex-Lawmaker Massa,” The Washington Post, 04/22/10)